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Equal-i-zer wdh question

leftybj
Explorer
Explorer
I have a half ton truck and 28 foot trailer. I use an equal-I-zer hitch and am very satisfied. I am thinking of buying a larger truck. If I buy a truck that does not squat down when I hook up the trailer, I won't need tension to level everything out. Without tension on the spring bars I loose sway control. Anybody have experience with this?
24 REPLIES 24

Majja13
Explorer
Explorer
I went form a 2000 1500 to a 2015 2500 and kept my hitch. I have very little to no WD set up but it still does a great job of sway control.
2015 GMC Sierra 2500hd 6.0 w/4:10 rear end
2006 SkyLine Weekender 180
1200/12000 Equal-i-zer WDH

Huntindog
Explorer
Explorer
Big Love wrote:
I don't think the original question was answered: how do you properly adjust an Equil-i-zer WDH if there is no significant squat or front end lift when load is placed? It seems that going to a scale would be the only way to find out if you are properly adjusted.
Don't eyeball it. Use a tape measure. I am on my second 1 ton dually.... You CAN measure it.
Huntindog
100% boondocking
2021 Grand Design Momentum 398M
2 bathrooms, no waiting
104 gal grey, 104 black,158 fresh
FullBodyPaint, 3,8Kaxles, DiscBrakes
17.5LRH commercial tires
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2020 Silverado HighCountry CC DA 4X4 DRW

leftybj
Explorer
Explorer
Thank you all for the responses.

Big_Love
Explorer
Explorer
I don't think the original question was answered: how do you properly adjust an Equil-i-zer WDH if there is no significant squat or front end lift when load is placed? It seems that going to a scale would be the only way to find out if you are properly adjusted.

westend
Explorer
Explorer
My older F250 ('03)with camper and plow packages doesn't squat like described above. In fact, I like to keep about 300 lbs in the bed because it rides nicer. That's easy to do since it's also my work truck so I have a set of sliding drawers in the bed with tools and such.

Hauling a utility trailer doesn't squat the truck and I don't notice any front end difference. Hauling a 5000 lb RV does squat the truck and I can feel the front end and steering effected. An equal-i-zer WDH brings the weight back on the front axle and maintains usual steering capability. Without the WDH, it's driveable and not a white knuckle affair but I like the steering to be all it can be, especially in Winter driving conditions.
'03 F-250 4x4 CC
'71 Starcraft Wanderstar -- The Cowboy/Hilton

hohenwald48
Explorer
Explorer
Seems like, at the very least, that would put your headlights in the tree tops at night.

I haven't heard this being talked about as an idiosyncrasy of the F-250. I've been shopping for one so I guess I'll do a little more checking before I buy.
When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

2019 Newmar Canyon Star 3627
2017 Jeep Wrangler JKU

wrvond
Explorer II
Explorer II
Actually there is a TSB out to address just that issue. The F250 will squat under light loads, even though it has a tow package and truck camper suspension package. It has something to do with the size of the blocks where the leaf springs mount to the axle. The F250 has 2" blocks, while the F350 has 4" blocks.
Because of the expense involved in installing the 4" blocks, I'm not entirely sure I'm going to mess with it. It's entirely cosmetic, and the front doesn't come up at all.
The 650 pound tongue weight of that camper is well within the capacity of the truck.

Here you can see my Summerland Mini with it's 250 pound tongue weight does the same thing.

2022 Keystone Cougar 24RDS
2023 Ram 6.7L Laramie Mega Cab

PapaNIes60
Explorer
Explorer
hohenwald48 wrote:
wrvond,
It might just be an illusion but the blue truck sure looks to be sitting a little nose high in your photo.

The F250 looks like it is squatting a bit. If this is the case I would not drive that set up until that is corrected.

Ron_Gratz
Explorer
Explorer
jmtandem wrote:
I would definately stay with the Reese Dual Cam as it works to resist the tendency for sway and the cams work to return from any offset or sway. This is not present in the Equalizer hitch that simply resists sway and also resists a return from sway.

It might be a matter of semantics -- but, the Dual Cam does not "work to return from any offset or sway."

The Dual Cam resists both moving away from centered and returning to centered.
It's just that the resistance to returning is less than the resistance to moving away from.

The resistance to sway is generated by friction force between cam and bar.
The cam/bar interface is subjected to less normal force (hence, less friction force) when the cam is moving toward the center of the "V".

Ron

jmtandem
Explorer II
Explorer II
wrvond,
It might just be an illusion but the blue truck sure looks to be sitting a little nose high in your photo.


X 2
'05 Dodge Cummins 4x4 dually 3500 white quadcab auto long bed.

hohenwald48
Explorer
Explorer
wrvond,
It might just be an illusion but the blue truck sure looks to be sitting a little nose high in your photo.
When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

2019 Newmar Canyon Star 3627
2017 Jeep Wrangler JKU

wrvond
Explorer II
Explorer II
Ha! Guess I showed my ignorance ! I did not realize the Equalizer worked differently.
2022 Keystone Cougar 24RDS
2023 Ram 6.7L Laramie Mega Cab

jmtandem
Explorer II
Explorer II
I've continued to use the old (circa 1989) Reese dual cam WDH with sway control. In fact, I set the chains to the same links on each side with the F250 as I did on the F150.
My camper weighs the same as it always has, as does the tongue. The F250 has a lot more capacity than the F150 did, but I'm only using a fraction of that capacity. By setting the bars the same, I'm still distributing the same weight I always have between the front and rear axles.
While the F250 has electronic sway control built in, I prefer not to engage it, and allow the mechanical sway control of the WDH to handle it. Keeping in mind that I have never experienced any problems with sway, I suppose if it got bad enough that the mechanical couldn't handle it, the truck's on board control would take over.



I would definately stay with the Reese Dual Cam as it works to resist the tendency for sway and the cams work to return from any offset or sway. This is not present in the Equalizer hitch that simply resists sway and also resists a return from sway.
.
'05 Dodge Cummins 4x4 dually 3500 white quadcab auto long bed.

wrvond
Explorer II
Explorer II
leftybj wrote:
I have a half ton truck and 28 foot trailer. I use an equal-I-zer hitch and am very satisfied. I am thinking of buying a larger truck. If I buy a truck that does not squat down when I hook up the trailer, I won't need tension to level everything out. Without tension on the spring bars I loose sway control. Anybody have experience with this?


I went from this:


To this:


I've continued to use the old (circa 1989) Reese dual cam WDH with sway control. In fact, I set the chains to the same links on each side with the F250 as I did on the F150.
My camper weighs the same as it always has, as does the tongue. The F250 has a lot more capacity than the F150 did, but I'm only using a fraction of that capacity. By setting the bars the same, I'm still distributing the same weight I always have between the front and rear axles.
While the F250 has electronic sway control built in, I prefer not to engage it, and allow the mechanical sway control of the WDH to handle it. Keeping in mind that I have never experienced any problems with sway, I suppose if it got bad enough that the mechanical couldn't handle it, the truck's on board control would take over.
2022 Keystone Cougar 24RDS
2023 Ram 6.7L Laramie Mega Cab